Nov 29, 2021 - Sports

France tests "flying taxis" for 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris

Axios

A Volocopter, an electrically powered drone taxi, on display in Shanghai, China, in April. — An electrically powered Volocopter drone taxi on display in Shanghai, China, in April. Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images

French officials are testing "flying taxis" that they plan to roll out for the 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris.

The big picture: The plan that's "unprecedented in Europe" is to create a "vertiport" to ferry passengers via the electric air taxis during the Olympics and Paralympics, per an Aeroport de Paris statement.

American eVTOL manufacturer Joby Aviation will join other companies, including Volocopter, Airbus, Vertical Aerospace and Ascendance, to conduct tests at a hub site in Pontoise, in the northwestern suburbs of the French capital.
One route will transport passengers between Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Le Bourget airports and central Paris. The route is via two suburbs in the southwest of the city.

What they're saying: Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, France's minister delegate for transport, said in a statement that the French state was "fully committed" to the project had already provided nearly 25 million euros ($28 million) for the development of flying taxis and supported other innovative transportation projects.

"Everything is falling into place: partnerships, innovation, test areas, regulations, financing," Djebbari said.
"All the ingredients for success are there, all that remains is to make it happen."

Our thought bubble, via Axios' Ina Fried: The 2021 Tokyo Olympics also served as a chance for Japanese telecom giant NTT to test telepresence tech like remote cheering and holograms.

Go deeper: Electric air taxis prepare for takeoff

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France tests "flying taxis" for 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris

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